The Sake Tree Festival
by Rugiku
Summary: One of my SMASH! fanfiction competition submissions. Please R&R and is AU. Watanuki and Domeki return to the spirit festival on Yuko's orders. What happens when they meet a familiar face?


Sake Tree Festival

It was that time again.

That dreaded time that Yuko would make me do a chore even worse than airing out her storerooms.

"Watanukiiii!"

That dreaded woman's voice echoed through the Japanese styled shop. The next four words chilled me to the bone.

"I want some sake~"

Heaving a frustrated sigh, I dropped my broom (that I just had to be using to sweep up old leaves and spider webs) and stalked to Yuko's main room.

As I opened the door, white-purple pipe smoke snaked around the room before escaping out of the tatami doors.

I sighed. "Let me guess. You want not just any sake…"

"I want sake from the spirit festival!" The tall lady in the simple purple kimono lounging on the elongated chair finished the sentence.

Heaving yet another sigh, I growled at Yuko and opened my mouth to disagree before a black, manju-shaped thing slammed into my face.

"Yay! Watanuki-kun is getting spirit festival sake again!" Mokona squealed before nuzzling my face in un-wanted adoration.

Grasping the soft animal, I tossed him over to Yuko and took off my usual apron.

"I had better get some after this," I warned, before stalking out of the house to find the one person in the entire world who I hated even more than Yuko's ridiculous activities; Domeki.

Arriving at his temple home, I met with the man who was already waiting out the front. Due to the loss of my left eye, Domeki had decided to split his own eye to replace my own.

Fixing a scowl as bad as the deadpan face Domeki usually wore, I turned again to find the young fox who, after all these years, had inherited the travelling ramen shop.

Finally finding it near a familiar old house at the edge of town, I knocked on the wooden frame of the cart.

There was a terrified squeak and a hurried, "We're not open!"

Startled, I knocked again but called out this time. "Hey, it's us! Kid, are you okay?"

A narrow, sandy brown snout poked nervously out of the cart, followed by cute, black, squinty eyes. Said eyes widened a little at seeing his best and favourite customers.

"Oh! I didn't realise it was you, Watanuki-sama. Please accept my apologies!" The little fox seemed near tears as he bowed so low his nose nearly scraped the ground.

I bent down to pat the fox on the head. I always had a soft spot for him. "It's alright. It's that time again and Yuko wants some spirit festival sake again."

The fox fidgeted and then as if coming to a conclusion, he said, "Please take my lantern this year Watanuki-sama, as an apology. I will also direct you to the transition to the spirit world's portal, but I will not come with you this time."

Surprised, I straightened up and smiled.

"Well, that's good luck because we don't have one this year, and you don't need to apologise to me."

The fox's eyes seemed to sparkle in adoration and he wrapped his tiny paws around my thin waist.

Patting him gently on the head, I gently pried him off and he was back to being his usual chipper self, closing doors, lowering boards and pulling out his bud-shaped lantern.

The young fox led us to the old house behind the cart. Inside was as dilapidated and broken as the last time I entered it.

His tail twitching regularly, the fox led us before the great stairway before stopping.

"Other spirits may also be using this place as a portal. Please be careful and come back safely." The young fox quivered and as I gave him a hug, and he nuzzled me gently in return. He then ran out of the house as fast as his little legs could take him. Facing the stairs, we clutched the lantern and stepped forwards.

We walked through what appeared to be water, but felt like a blanket of heat. Landing on darkness, there was nothing.

No moon, no stars, just darkness.

Sharing a brief glance, we mutually agreed to start walking.

It wasn't long before we saw the other bobbing lights in a long parade of the weird and wonderful creatures.

There were spirits as real as you and I, and some so transparent you wouldn't know they were there if they weren't holding a lantern. Some were slimier than toads, a few larger than three elephants stacked upon each other, others tinier than my little finger, and some looked just like humans.

I scanned the crowd. Most were spirits who'd been there last year and the year before; probably even longer than Yuko has been alive.

One caught my eye as 'dangerous', the cursed spider spirit.

Now I understood why the young fox was so frightened. Spiders and foxes did not mix.

That particular spirit was the reason Domeki and I shared an eye; she had eaten it in return for the safety of another spirit.

Motioning to Domeki to hurry up and to avoid the spider spirit, we rushed ahead to the glowing colossus of a sake giving tree.

We were almost in its circle of light when there was a dark, silky voice behind us.

"Not in a rush are we boys? You don't want to be missing out on all the fun parts."

Turning slowly, we were met with a cold but jovial smile.

"We're only here on the Time Space Witch's orders." Domeki replied calmly; even though I felt his hand clutching the lantern tighten.

The spider witch smiled and leant forward to brush Domeki's face with a long, black fingernail. The man instinctively jerked away.

The spirit giggled and then said, "I'm not hunting for your other eye alright, Watanuki." She leaned closer. "Unless you want to give it to me this time?"

Jerking away in disgust, I stalked away from the spider lady's cold smirk, dragging Domeki with me. Facing the tree, we held out the lantern which also doubled as a container.

_You seem agitated… _the tree observed.

Snorting, I said, "I just want to leave as soon as possible."

The tree seemed to chuckle and lowered one of its great flower buds. As soon as the lantern was full of sake, we bowed low and walked away.

I_t is easy to remember your enemies but easy to forget your friends. Do not forget that Watanuki. _ The tree called out to us and then turned away to produce another lantern-full of sake.

"The sake is back!" Yuko crowed as she bounded towards us like a child at Christmas who'd just seen their presents, with Mokona trailing not far behind.

Sighing yet again I shouted, "Remember our bargain!"

The witch grinned. "Never bargain with a witch. And besides, I never said 'yes' did I?" Throwing my hands up in the air in frustration, I stomped around the garden until Maru and Moro grabbed my flailing hands and led me back to the low balcony.

Yuko was already splayed out over the timber floorboards, cup in hand and staring at the moon. Turning away from the pale face of the moon, she smiled a genuine smile.

"I was only kidding. Of course you can have some of the sake you and Domeki brought from the festival again." She said.

Calming down, I sat down next to her, a dish of sake reflecting the moon next to me.

Picking up the cup, we toasted and drank.


End file.
